Two White Guys Are Suing Questlove For Racism

Two White Guys Are Suing Questlove For Racism

It all started with a group text.

Published January 25th

The Tonight Show band member Questlove just reportedly landed himself in some hot water as two men have filed a lawsuit against him, and it all started with a group text.

According to TMZ, Kurt Decker and Michael Cimino, who worked as camera operators, are claiming that Questlove demanded that their employer, NBC, fire them over what they describe as a racist group text that they never agreed to join.

Decker and Cimino filed the lawsuit against both Questlove and the network after what they deem was "misappropriated blame and racial retaliation" from the leader of the Roots after they both received a racist text he learned of.

The legal documents state that a stagehand sent Decker, Cimino and another member of the Roots, Mark Kelley, a Black man, a text during a taping of The Tonight Show back in 2017. The men who filed the suit claim they never asked for or responded to the text message in question. They further added that they even tried explaining the situation to NBC executives out of fear that they would be wrongfully connected to the text.

After Questlove learned of this, he reportedly demanded that NBC fire both men, which they eventually did. He, however, was not punished despite having received the texts as well.

A rep for NBC reached out to TMZ detailing their decision to terminate Decker and Cimino from the company, stressing that Questlove had no involvement.

"NBC is committed to providing a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity," the statement reads. "We have strong policies in place that protect against discrimination in any form. The decision about these plaintiffs was the company's alone."

A rep for Questlove also responded to the allegations made against him, stating that they are "ridiculous" before adding, "Racism is REAL and exists throughout the world and for these gentlemen to claim victim is not only disrespectful to Questlove and his band mates, but to all that truly endure racism on a daily basis."

Written by Moriba Cummings

(Photo: Samantha Lichtenstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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